AU2018422381A1

AU2018422381A1 - Method for operating a washer-dryer

Info

Publication number: AU2018422381A1
Application number: AU2018422381A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Simon LUGINBÜHL; Martin SIBAK; Markus Zwimpfer
Original assignee: V-Zug AG
Current assignee: V-Zug AG
Priority date: 2018-05-08
Filing date: 2018-05-08
Publication date: 2020-10-29
Also published as: WO2019214807A1; EP3755836A1

Abstract

A domestic laundry dryer, in particular a washer-dryer, comprises a cabinet (10), a drum (10), and an air circulation system (2, 20, 24, 25, 41; 51). The drum (10) is rotatably placed within a tub (11) and has an opening (16) on a front side for loading laundry. A heat pump (8) is provided with a condenser (21) and an evaporator (22) for drying and heating process air. A ventilator (20) is configured to circulate air in the air circulation system (2, 20, 24, 25, 41; 51). A water trough (4) and a water duct (41) guide water from the evaporator (22) and condenser (21) to the tub (11). The condenser (21) and the evaporator (22) are arranged on a back side of the drum (10). The evaporator (22) is located below the condenser (21). For drying laundry, air is guided along a down-up direction through the evaporator (22) and then the condenser (21).

Description

Method for Operating a Washer-Dryer

The present invention relates to a domestic washer-dryer, i.e. to a household device for washing and drying laundry. It also relates to a method for operating such a washer-dryer.

Background Art

State of the art domestic washer-dryers are heavy appliances that occupy a large volume of space. Therefore, they are not very suitable for being installed in a small apartment or kitchenette.

In addition, state of the art washer-dryers consume large amounts of fresh water for washing the laundry .

Also, such devices typically require lint filters that have to be cleaned regularly.

Disclosure of the Invention

In a first aspect, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for oper ating a domestic washer-dryer and a domestic washer-dryer that are economic in water consumption and require little maintenance. In a second aspect, the problem to be solved is to provide a method and washer-dryer that allow for a compact design.

The problem of the first aspect is solved by the subject of the first independent claim. The problem for the second aspect is solved by the second independent claim.

Accordingly, in both aspects of the invention, it relates to a method for operating a washer- dryer. The washer-dryer comprises at least the following parts :

A tub: This is a container for retaining process water during washing. A drum: The drum rotatably placed within the tub and receives the laundry.

A heat pump: The heat pump has an evapora tor and a condenser for drying and heating process air during laundry drying.

An air circulating system: This system connects the drum to the condenser and the evaporator. It comprises a ventilator configured to circulate air be tween the drum, the evaporator, and the condenser.

The method of the first aspect comprises the following steps :

Feeding rinsing water to at least one of the condenser and the evaporator: This step is carried out for removing lint from the condenser and/or the evap orator, thereby reducing the need for maintenance.

Guiding at least part of said rinsing wa ter to said drum and using it as process water for washing laundry: Hence, at least part of the water used for rinsing the evaporator and/or condenser is re-used as process water for washing, thereby reducing the water consumption of the machine.

In the second aspect, for drying laundry, the method comprises the following steps:

Guiding moisture-loaded air from the drum to the evaporator: The moisture in this air is water extracted from the laundry.

Passing the air first through the evapora tor for drying: The evaporator cools the air, thereby extracting water from it.

Subsequently passing the air through the condenser: This heats the air again.

In this second aspect, the condenser is located above the evaporator and the air is passed through the condenser and evaporator along a down-up direction.

The second aspect has the advantage of providing for a compact design with the condenser and evaporator located above each other. Further, placing the evaporator below the condenser and passing the air up wards through them prevents water from the evaporator from entering the condenser as well as from entering the parts of the air circulating system that lead air from the condenser back to the drum.

In this context, the "down-up" direction des ignates any direction where the air rises, be it vertically or under an angle < 90° to the vertical direction, in particular under an angle < 45° to the vertical direc tion .

The method can further comprise the step of rinsing the condenser and/or the evaporator with water flowing along a top-down direction.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the condenser and the evaporator are arranged on top of each other.

Advantageously, the condenser is positioned vertically above at least a part of the evaporator. In other words, when seen from above, the condenser and evaporator overlap.

In an advantageous embodiment, the condenser as well as the evaporator comprise plates for exchanging heat between the fluid ducts of the heat pump and the process air. Said plates can be aligned vertically.

Advantageously, the shortest distance between individual plates of the condenser is larger than the shortest distance between individual plates of the evapo rator. In particular, the distance between the plates of the condenser can be at least twice the distance between the plates of the evaporator.

Using plates that are closer to each other in the evaporator than in the condenser improves the lint filtering effect that can be achieved by means of the evaporator .

In an advantageous embodiment, the washer- dryer comprises at least one first rinsing duct. Said first rinsing duct is arranged adjacent to the evaporator and has or is connected to a plurality of nozzles directed towards the evaporator.

In particular, the method comprises the step of ejecting water from the nozzles, in particular wherein the ejected water is directed towards the evaporator

A further advantageous embodiment comprises at least one further rinsing duct having or being connected to a plurality of nozzles directed towards the evaporator and/or the condenser. The further rinsing duct is advantageously arranged above the first rinsing duct.

In particular, the method comprises the step of ejecting water from the nozzles.

In another embodiment, the washer-dryer comprises three or four rinsing ducts.

Advantageously, the first rinsing duct and the further rinsing duct are mounted directly onto a housing enclosing the evaporator and/or the condenser.

In an advantageous embodiment, said first and further rinsing ducts are adapted and used to rinse lint from the condenser and/or evaporator.

The rinsing ducts are advantageously fed by either water already processed during the washing cycle or by fresh water.

In particular, at least part of a lower end of the condenser is adjacent to at least part of an upper end of the evaporator. Advantageously, the lower end of the condenser fully aligns with the upper end of the evaporator .

Advantageously, at least part of the evapora- tor and/or the condenser can be arranged in a space-saving manner behind the drum, i.e. on a side opposite to the opening for filling the drum with laundry.

In an advantageous embodiment of the inven tion, the condenser and/or the evaporator horizontally extends along at least 60%, in particular at least 75%, of the full width of the cabinet, therefore, exploiting the space within the cabinet. The width of the condenser and/or the evaporator is defined to be the widest exten sion of the condenser or evaporator in the horizontal di rection perpendicular to the rotation axis of the drum.

Advantageously, at least a section of the condenser and/or the evaporator is arranged horizontally behind the drum. In other words, when viewing the drum from its front side (i.e. the side of the opening of the drum) along its axis of rotation, at least part of the condenser and/or the evaporator is hidden behind it. This provides a compact machine design.

In an advantageous embodiment, the washer- dryer comprises a lint filter arranged in the air circu lation system between the drum and the evaporator, i.e. the air from the drum first passes the lint filter before it reaches the evaporator, thus reducing the amount of lint accumulating in the evaporator.

In one embodiment, water from the condenser passes a water duct before entering the tub. A siphon is arranged in the water duct. For drying laundry, the method comprises the step of circulating air in said air circulating system while water is present in said siphon and blocks a passage of the air through the siphon.

Hence, the air is prevented from passing through the wa ter duct. This allows to force the air through different parts of the device, e.g. through a dedicated air duct, separate from the water duct connecting the drum to the evaporator .

Advantageously, the lowest part of the lint filter is arranged higher than a lower end of the evapo rator, in particular higher than all the evaporator. This makes it unlikely that water from the evaporator flows into the lint filter.

In another embodiment, for drying laundry, the method comprises the step of leading air from the drum to the evaporator without passing air through a lint filter. This is based on the understanding that any filtering may also take place in the evaporator and/or con denser only. Advantageously, the lint accumulated within the evaporator and/or condenser can be flushed by rinsing one or both of these components with water.

A further advantageous embodiment, the method comprises the step of washing the laundry, wherein the water for washing the laundry is fed by at least 50%, in particular by at least 90%, to the tub trough the heat exchanging device.

In yet a further embodiment, the method com prises the step of rinsing the evaporator and/or conden ser with water while turning on and off the ventilator of the air circulation system in cycles, thereby temporarily damming up at least part of the water in the evaporator and/or condenser. In other words, air conveyed upwards through the evaporator and condenser will prevent at least part of the water from leaving these components un til the ventilator stops . Then the water will leave the evaporator and/or condenser in a gush, which lends it ad ditional force to carry off the lint.

A further advantageous method for operating the washer-dryer comprises the steps of feeding a first batch of water through the condenser and/or evaporator and draining the first batch without the first batch coming into contact with the laundry. In addition, a second batch of water is fed through the condenser and/or evapo rator and is used for washing the laundry. Thus, the heavily contaminated water of the first batch is dis carded and only the clear water of the second batch is used for washing.

The invention also relates to a washer-dryer adapted and structured to carry out the method described here. Such a washer-dryer e.g. comprises a control unit programmed to carry out the method steps as described.

In a compact embodiment, at least part of the condenser and of the evaporator can be arranged at the back side of the drum. In other words, when viewing the machine from the opening of the drum, at least part of the condenser and the evaporator are arranged behind the drum. This allows to exploit space behind the drum. Other advantageous embodiments are listed in the dependent claims as well as in the description below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become ap parent from the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings, wherein :

Fig. 1 shows a first perspective view of a laundry dryer from with its housing represented in dashed lines only,

Fig. 2 shows a second perspective view of the laundry dryer of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 shows the assembly of the heat ex changing device, the water duct, and the laundry recipient ;

Fig. 4 shows a rear view of Fig. 3 with the heat exchanging device and the laundry recipient;

Fig. 5 shows the heat exchanging device only, with the rinsing ducts in partially cut-off view;

Fig. 6 shows a sectional view along line A-A of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows a schematic of a laundry dryer without a lint filter; and

Fig. 8 shows a schematic of a laundry dryer with a lint filter.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

Overview :

Figs. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a washer dryer comprising a laundry recipient 1 with a drum 10 ar ranged in a tub 11. Drum 10 is rotatable about an axis of rotation 12 by means of a rotation drive (not shown) .

Axis of rotation 12 is substantially horizontal. Laundry recipient 1 is suspended from a yoke 13, which rests on a base frame 14.

The device comprises a cabinet 15, which is also mounted to frame 14.

Cabinet 15 is substantially a cuboid having a width w, a height h, and a depth d (Fig. 2) .

In an advantageous embodiment of the inven tion, the cabinet has the maximum dimensions of h = 60 cm in height, w = 60 cm in width, and d = 60 cm in depth. These dimensions allow the cabinet to fit into most of the common kitchen cupboards or niches.

On its front side, drum 10 comprises a front opening 16, which mates with a door (not shown) in the front side of cabinet 15.

A heat exchanging device 2 is arranged at the back side of laundry recipient 1. It is advantageously mounted to laundry recipient 1, i.e. laundry recipient 1 bears the weight of heat exchanging device 2.

Figs. 3 and 4 show views of heat exchanging device 2 and laundry container 1. A water duct 41 con nects heat exchanging device 2 to drum 10.

Heat exchanging device 2 comprises a conden ser 21 and an evaporator 22 of a heat pump 8.

Heat pump 8 is schematically shown in Fig. 4. It comprises a compressor 80 that feeds a heat pump medium to condenser 21, from where it passes an expansion valve 81 and enters evaporator 22. From evaporator 22, the fluid returns to compressor 80.

In operation of heat pump 8, the fluid condenses in condenser 21, thereby heating condenser 21 up, and it evaporates in evaporator 22, thereby cooling evap orator 22 down.

A motor 82 is provided for operating pump 80.

As schematically shown in Fig. 4, motor 82 and compressor 80 can be arranged in a foot section of the device. In an advantageous embodiment, motor 82 and compressor 80 are vertically arranged. In a further ad vantageous embodiment, motor 82 can further be arranged horizontally beside the compressor 80. Such arrangement allows to exploit unused volume below heat exchanging de vice 2 and/or laundry recipient 1.

Condenser 21 is arranged on top of evaporator

22.

Heat exchanging device 2 comprises at least a first rinsing duct 31. In addition, there may be further rinsing ducts 32.

Each rinsing duct 31, 32 extends in a sub stantially horizontal direction. Advantageously, for mak ing it easier to drain all water from the rinsing ducts 31, 32, the rinsing ducts 31, 32 are arranged, as shown, under a small angle to the horizontal direction, with said angle being e.g. larger than 1° and/or smaller than 10° .

First rinsing duct 31 and, in the shown em bodiment, the bottommost of the further rinsing ducts 32, are arranged adjacent to evaporator 22. The remaining further rinsing ducts 32 are arranged adjacent to conden ser 21.

A trough 4 is arranged adjacent to the lower end of the evaporator 22. It is configured to collect water from the heat exchanging device 2 and in particular from evaporator 22. The water might result from condensation in the evaporator 22 or from water that entered heat exchanging device 2 through the rinsing ducts 31, 32.

A water duct 41 is connected to trough 4 and is configured to guide the collected water from trough 4 to laundry recipient 1, in particular to a bottom section of tub 11. Alternatively, water duct 41 can be connected to a drain pipe of the device.

In the present embodiment, water duct 41 also serves to guide moisture-loaded air from the drum to evaporator 22. As it is best seen in Fig. 4, most of heat exchanging device 2 is arranged horizontally behind laun dry recipient 1 and drum 10.

Condenser 21 and evaporator 22 both have ver tically arranged plates 201, 202 in order to increase the heat exchanging surface.

The shortest distance between the individual plates 201 of condenser 21 can be larger than the short est distance of the individual plates 202 of the evaporator 22. Therefore, in the shown embodiment, condenser 21 comprises a smaller number of plates 201 than evaporator 22.

Heat exchanging device 2 forms part of an air circulating system best explained in reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

The air circulating system comprises, apart from heat exchanging device 2, at least the following components :

- Water duct 41 and trough 4 for guiding air from tub 11 into heat exchanging device 2.

- A first air duct 24 receiving air from heat exchanging device 2 and guiding it to a ventilator 20.

- A second air duct 25 guiding the air from ventilator 20 back to tub 11, e.g. via the door of the device and/or a gasket arranged between the door and tub 11.

Ventilator 20 is advantageously arranged at the bottom of the device, i.e. in the lowest 25% of the device. This allows to exploit room that is available there. Also, this design allows to mount ventilator 20 on the bottom parts of the device, in particular on frame 14, which allows to reduce the amount of vibration and noise transmitted to cabinet 15.

In the embodiment shown, ventilator 20 is a radial ventilator with a substantially vertical axis of rotation, which allows to better exploit the room available at the bottom of the device. One of the advantages of mounting condenser 21 above evaporator 22 lies in the fact that any water in evaporator 22 and/or condenser 21 will flow downwards and not enter first air duct 24. This is particularly true if first air duct 24 is connected to the top end of conden ser 21 as shown.

First air duct 24 has an input end 24a lo cated at a top end of condenser 21. Further, it has an output end 24b located below evaporator 22 and connected to ventilator 20.

Second air duct 25 is connected, at its input end 25a, to ventilator 20 at the bottom of the device.

Its output end 25b is located at a level higher than the axis of rotation 12, in particular at a level higher than a maximum water level during washing the laundry. This prevents water from entering second air duct 25 from that end .

As mentioned, rinsing ducts 31, 32 are ar ranged on heat exchanging device 2. They are best seen in Figs. 5 and 6, with Fig. 5 showing the ducts 31, 32 in partially cut-off view. As can be seen, each rinsing duct 31, 32 carries a plurality of nozzles 300 directed towards evaporator 22 or condenser 21.

The ducts 31, 32 are mounted directly to a housing 2a forming an air duct around evaporator 22 and condenser 21. The nozzles 300 are e.g. located at open ings in housing 2a.

In the embodiment shown, the nozzles 300 are elongate slits or other openings arranged in the wall of each rinsing duct 31, 32. Alternatively, the nozzles may also be formed by separate elements from the rinsing ducts 31, 32 and be connected thereto.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic of a laundry dryer, in particular washer-drier. This may e.g. be the device of Figs. 1 - 6 or any other similar device. As shown, the device comprises heat exchang ing device 2 with condenser 21 and evaporator 22. Condenser 21 and evaporator 22 each can comprise the plates 201, 202.

Trough 4 is arranged underneath heat exchang ing device 2 to collect water therefrom.

Heat exchanging device 2 is connected to ven tilator 20. Ventilator 20 is configured to circulate air in the device.

A control unit 9 is provided to control the components of the device. It is e.g. a microprocessor equipped with suitable software to carry out all opera tions of the methods described herein.

For example, control unit 9 controls ventila tor 20 and therefore the transport of air through the air circulating system. It can also control the rotation of drum 10, the operation of heat pump 8, the feeding of water through the water ducts 31, 32, etc.

Drying laundry:

When laundry is to be dried, e.g. at the end of a washing process or in a stand-alone process, control unit 9 activates heat pump 8 and ventilator 20. Further, drum 10 is rotated.

Due to the operation of ventilator 20, moisture-loaded air is drawn from laundry recipient 1 and fed from below into evaporator 22. In Fig. 7, this wet air is designated as a2.

In evaporator 22, the air is cooled and loses moisture. Condensed water accumulates on the plates 202 and/or other parts of evaporator 22 and drops down into trough 4.

Next, the dried air rises into condenser 21, where it is heated up again. It leaves condenser 21 through its top end.

Finally, the hot, dry air is conveyed back into laundry recipient 1. In Fig. 7, this hot, dry air is designated as al. Advantageously, the air al coming from heat exchanging device 2 enters drum 10 through front opening 16.

In drum 10, the heated and dry air al coming from the condenser 21 absorbs the water of the wet laun dry, whereupon it is returned to evaporator 22.

During this process, the water falling into trough 4 flows through water duct 41 into the bottom of tub 11 and/or directly to a waste water drain.

Control unit 9 can operate a drain pump to convey the water from the device.

In an advantageous embodiment, the lowest part of trough 4 is located at a higher level ml than the lowest part of tub 11, which is at a level m2. This de sign allows to convey water from trough 4 to tub 11 by means of gravity.

Rinsing the heat exchanging device:

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 - 7, the device does not contain a fluff filter separate from heat ex changing device 2. Hence, fluff will accumulate in heat exchanging device 2 and in particular in evaporator 22.

To remove such fluff, control unit 9 can feed water to one or more of the rinsing ducts 31, 32. When doing so, the water will leave the rinsing ducts 31, 32 through the nozzles 300 and enter the evaporator 22 and/or condenser 21 for washing the same.

This rinsing water will enter trough 4 and water duct 41, where it is guided to tub 11 and/or to the drain pipe.

Such a rinsing process can e.g. take place when required, e.g. before, during, or after drying laundry.

Washing laundry:

As mentioned, the present device can be de signed to not only dry laundry but also to wash it. In that case, process water for washing the laundry has to be fed to laundry recipient 1. Advantageously, at least part of said process water is fed to laundry recipient 1 and therefore drum 11 through the rinsing pipes 31, 32. This allows to re-use the rinsing water for rinsing the evaporator 22 and/or condenser 21 as process water in the washing process, thereby reducing the total water consumption.

In one embodiment, not all of the water used for rinsing evaporator 22 and/or condenser 21 is used as process water for washing the laundry. Rather, control unit 9 is adapted to first feed a first batch of water from the rinsing pipe(s) 31, 32 through the condenser 21 and/or evaporator 22 and to discard this first batch from the machine without it coming into contact with the laundry .

Next, control unit 9 can feed a second batch of water from the rinsing pipe(s) 31, 32 through the con denser 21 and/or evaporator 22 and to use this second batch for washing the laundry.

This process is based on the understanding that the first batch of water will be heavily contami nated with lint. Hence, discarding it and not using it for washing reduces the amount of lint that comes into contact with the laundry.

In one embodiment, the user may select, de pending on the type of laundry and the desired quality of the washing, if the first batch of rinsing water is to be discarded or not.

Once water has been filled into laundry recipient 1, washing proceeds basically as in a conven tional machine.

In one advantageous embodiment, the bottom end of evaporator 22 is at a level m3 that is higher than a maximum level m4 of the process water in drum 10 while washing the laundry. Control unit 9 is adapted to keep the water level in drum 10 during washing below said max imum level m4. This design prevents washing water from flooding evaporator 22 and/or condenser 21. Machine with lint filter:

Fig. 8 shows a schematic of another advanta geous laundry dryer. In contrast to the one of Fig. 7, this embodiment comprises a lint filter 5 arranged in the path of the air a2 between laundry recipient 1 and evapo rator 22.

To avoid lint filter 5 from coming into con tact with water, it is, in this embodiment, not arranged in water duct 41. Rather, a separate air duct 51 is pro- vided between laundry container 1 and evaporator 22, with laundry filter 5 arranged therein.

In this embodiment, water collected by trough 4 still flows through water duct 41 into tub 11. However, when drying laundry, the air must be forced through filter 5. To do so, a siphon 6 is located in water duct 41. Control unit 9 is adapted to make sure that water is pre sent in siphon 6 while drying. This water blocks water duct 41 for air. Thus, when control unit 9 activates ven tilator 20, the wet air a2 from drum 10 passes through air duct 51 and filter 5 but not through water duct 41. Thus, it is filtered before entering heat exchanging device 2.

In order to prevent water from entering lint filter 5, the lowest part of lint filter 5 is advanta- geously arranged at a level m5 that is above maximum level m4 of the water in drum 10 and/or above the level m3 of the lower end of evaporator 22.

Notes :

Unless otherwise noted, the following advantageous aspects apply to all embodiments of the machine.

As shown above, the machine may comprise several rinsing ducts 31, 32, and control unit 9 can be adapted to individually and selectively feed water to said ducts .

This allows to control the order in which the various parts of heat exchanging device 2 can be rinsed. Control unit 9 is advantageously adapted to control the rinsing cycle in a sequence of first rinsing evaporator 22 and second rinsing condenser 21. This gives the condenser more time to cool before it is flushed with water, which avoids an excessive calcification of conden ser 21.

In one embodiment, control unit 9 is adapted to only rinse the condenser 21 if it has a temperature below a threshold temperature T_P, in particular with Tp _< 50 °C .

The rinsing water can, as mentioned, be col lected by means of trough 4. It can be drained from trough 4 to drum 10 and be reused for the next washing cycle. Alternatively, part or all of it may be discarded and drained from the machine without using it for wash ing .

In one embodiment, control unit 9 can be adapted to rinse evaporator 22 and/or condenser 21 with water from the rinsing duct(s) 31 and/or 32 while turning on and off ventilator 20 in cycles. While ventilator 20 is running, air is pushed against the top-down-flow of the water into heat exchanging device 2 from below. This allows to keep at least part of the water in heat ex changing device 2, to be released once ventilator 20 is switched off. At that time, the trapped water will leave heat exchanging device 2 in a gush, which increases the cleaning efficiency of the process.

Even though the shown example is a domestic washer-dryer, the design of heat exchanging device 2 and of the other components shown here, and the means and methods for operating the machine and in particular for rinsing the heat exchanging device, can also be used in a domestic laundry dryer without laundry washing function ality .

While there are shown and described presently preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and prac ticed within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for operating a washer-dryer, wherein said washer-dryer comprises

- a tub (11)

a drum (10) rotatably placed within the tub ( 11 ) ,

a heat pump with a condenser (21) and an evaporator (22),

- an air circulating system (2) connecting the drum (10) to the condenser (21) and the evaporator (22), wherein said air circulating system comprises a ventilator (20) configured to circulate air between the drum (10), the evaporator (22), and the condenser (21);

said method comprising the steps of

feeding rinsing water to at least one of the condenser (21) and the evaporator (22) for removing lint,

guiding at least part of said rinsing wa- ter to said drum and using it as process water for washing laundry.

2. A method for operating a washer-dryer, wherein said washer-dryer comprises

- a tub (11)

a drum (10) rotatably placed within the tub ( 11 ) ,

a heat pump with a condenser (21) and an evaporator (22),

- an air circulating system (2) connecting the drum (10) to the condenser (21) and the evaporator (22) , wherein said air circulating system comprises a ventilator (20) configured to circulate air between the drum (10), the evaporator (22), and the condenser (21);

said method comprising, for drying laundry, the steps of

guiding moisture-loaded air from the drum (10) to the evaporator (22), passing the air first through the evapora tor (22) for drying, and

subsequently passing said air through the condenser (21) for heating,

wherein said condenser (21) is located above said evaporator (22) and said air is passed through said condenser (21) and evaporator (22) along a down-up direc tion .

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2 comprising the step of rinsing the condenser (21) and/or the evaporator (22) with water flowing along a top-down direction .

4. The method according to any of the preced ing claims, wherein the condenser (21) is positioned ver tically above, in particular adjacent to, at least part of the evaporator (22) .

5. The method according to any of the preced ing claims, wherein the condenser (21) and the evaporator (22) each comprise vertically aligned plates (201, 202).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a shortest distance between individual plates (201) of the condenser (21) is larger than a shortest distance between individ ual plates (202) of the evaporator (22).

7. The method according to any of the preceding claims comprising the step of ejecting water from nozzles (200) connected to or arranged on at least one first rinsing duct (31) arranged adjacent to the evaporator (22), in particular wherein the ejected water is di rected towards the evaporator (22).

8. The method according to claim 7 comprising the step of ejecting water from a plurality of nozzles connected to or arranged on at least one further rinsing duct (32), and in particular wherein the further rinsing duct is arranged above the first rising duct (31), in particular arranged adjacent to the evaporator (22) or the condenser (21) .

9. The method according to claim 8 comprising the step of rinsing first the evaporator (22) and second the condenser (21) .

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9 wherein the condenser (21) is only rinsed if it has a temperature below a threshold temperature TP.

11. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein said washer-drier comprises a lint filter (5) , and wherein, for drying laundry, said method comprises the step leading air from said drum (10) via said lint filter (5) to said evaporator (22) .

12. The method of claim 11, wherein water from the condenser (22) passes a water duct (41) before enter ing said tub (11), wherein a siphon (6) is arranged in water duct ( 41) ,

and wherein, for drying laundry, said method comprising the step of circulating air in said air circu lating system while water is present in said siphon (6) and blocks a passage of said air through said siphon (6) .

13. The method according to the claims 1 to 10, wherein, for drying laundry, said method comprises the step of leading air from said drum (10) to said evap orator (22) without passing said air through a lint fil ter .

14. The method according to any of the preced ing claims comprising the steps of

feeding a first batch of water through the condenser (21) and/or evaporator (22) and draining said first batch without said first batch coming into contact with said laundry and feeding a second batch of water through the condenser (21) and/or evaporator (22) and using said second batch for washing said laundry.

15. The method according to any of the preced ing claims comprising the step of washing the laundry, wherein water for washing the laundry is fed by at least 50%, in particular by at least 90%, to the tub (11) trough the heat exchanging device.

16. The method of any of the preceding claims comprising the step of rinsing said evaporator (22) and/or condenser (21) with water while turning on and off the ventilator (20) in cycles, thereby temporarily damming up at least part of the water in said evaporator (22) and/or condenser (21).

17. A washer-dryer adapted and structured to carry out the method according to claim 1 to 16.

18. The washer-dryer of claim 17 wherein said drum has an opening (16) for filling in laundry and wherein at least part of the condenser (21) and of the evaporator (22) are arranged at a back side of the drum (10) , wherein said back side faces away from said opening

(16) .

19. The laundry dryer of any of the claims 17 or 18, wherein the condenser (21) is positioned verti cally above, in particular adjacent to, at least part of the evaporator (22).